Op-Ed: Taking the AAU survey - worth more than a $5 gift card

Editor's Note: This is an opinion piece by members of the Group Independent Study Project titled Perspectives in Intersectional Reproductive Health. The authors are not Blog writers but rather Brown students who were in search of a platform that would allow them to express their views. Thus, the opinions expressed in this article are the authors' own and do not necessarily reflect the views of individual Blog members or the publication as a whole.Amidst the chaos that often accompanies the end of the year, in between exams, final presentations, and the excitement of Spring Weekend and Commencement, an email with the subject line “Let your voice be heard” snuck into all of our already cluttered inboxes, urging us to take the 2019 Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct before May 5th, 2019. Since then, the deadline has since been extended to May 7th at 11:59 p.m. To encourage us to take the survey, the email also mentioned that “as a small token of appreciation," those who took the survey would receive a five dollar Amazon gift card upon its completion. Upon initially receiving this email, we found ourselves with many unanswered questions: Who made this survey? Has Brown participated in the AAU survey before? What are the results used for and are they made public? Why would we be given a five dollar Amazon gift card as compensation for the survey?To answer questions regarding the survey’s importance in assessing Brown’s approach to sexual misconduct, we sat down with the Title IX Program Officer Rene Davis. As the Title IX Program Officer, Davis works to answer questions related to complaint processes, resources and reporting options, and safety measures at Brown, while also ensuring the University’s compliance with Title IX.The Association of American Universities' 2019 Campus Climate Survey—designed to provide critical insight into students’ perceptions of their universities' climate regarding gender-based harassment, consent, and sexual misconducts—allows Brown to identify opportunities to mitigate and prevent high-risk behaviors that lead to gender-based harassment. In the inaugural Campus Climate Survey in 2015, data indicated that 34.6 percent of students believe that sexual misconduct is a problem on Brown's campus, with female-identifying undergrads expressing the highest level of concern. Furthermore, while 50.5 percent of Brown students believe that it is very or extremely likely that campus officials would take such a report seriously, only 25.6 percent believe that it is very or extremely likely that campus officials would conduct a fair investigation. This data is integral to addressing issues of sexual misconduct at Brown, as the Title IX office uses it to expand trainings and assess the school's progress.The completion of the AAU survey is extremely important for the overall health, wellbeing and the safety of students on Brown’s campus. As it is only released every four years, this is not an opportunity to miss. The Title IX office's goal is to get several thousand students to complete the survey. Without every student’s response, there is no way to compile information on these critical issues that is reflective of everyone’s experience. Fortunately, the fact that the survey is anonymous means that students at Brown can be open and honest in their responses to serious questions related to sexual violence and gender inequity, without fear of identification.After the survey closes, AAU gathers all of the data and sends it back to Brown, where it is published for all to see in the fall of 2019, guaranteeing 100 percent transparency. Davis and other members in her office analyze the data for patterns, and from there, they decide who to target for outreach. Davis conducts a series of presentations based on the results that will ensure that Brown’s policies and processes respond to the needs revealed in the data. If not, they will amend it. Davis also examines the data with attention to any potential discrepancies between the Brown's various schools, both undergraduate and graduate. The questions are Brown-specific and are aimed at determining the effectiveness of programs and resources for students. Overall, Brown’s pairing with AAU emphasizes the institution’s commitment for betterment in combating sexual assault, misconduct and gender inequity. But without everyone’s willingness to participate, Brown cannot ensure current policies and resources are accessible and address everyone’s concerns.It can be easy to feel like after the completion of an online survey such as this one, the data simply disappears into the metaphorical black hole that is the Internet. However, our conversation with Davis helped us understand the path this data takes, starting with students' responses and ending with practical implementation of new policies throughout campus. Davis sums it up: “I think it is most important for all students to think about this as their Brown experience… even if it shows us that we have a lot of work to do. We are prepared to face that data and prepared to do the work.”One aspect of the survey that may have drawn your attention was the offer of a chance to win a five dollar Amazon gift card. While it is understandable that providing an incentive could promote participation, we questioned why this money could not be utilized in a more productive manner. Would students be equally incentivized if the five dollars were instead pooled and donated to survivors of sexual assault? We polled the student body, and found that some students viewed the gift cards positively, while others commented on the ethical implications of promoting Amazon as a company. Many students stated that those who completed the survey should be given the option to use the five dollars as they choose, with the opportunity to retain the gift card or donate the money. In our conversation with Davis, she revealed that she had brought forward the idea of a donation incentive but the quick turnaround of the survey release did not allow enough time for the logistics to be resolved. While this year’s survey will not provide the option to donate, we encourage students to reflect on how they spend their own money and to question how the university spends its dollars. Although the Amazon money cannot be directly rerouted, we would encourage the beneficence of recipients in a personal donation to one of the following local organizations:CrossroadsDomestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women. Crossroads offers a domestic violence program and helps homeless or at-risk individuals and families secure stable homes.Day OneDay One is the only agency in Rhode Island that is specifically organized to deal with issues of sexual assault as a community concern. The organization provides treatment, intervention, education, advocacy, and prevention services to people all ages.Sojourner HouseSojourner House assists victims of domestic abuse through advocacy, funding, housing, and support services. By Sabrina Bajwa '21, Sarika Arora '21, Ellie Rogoff '21, and Karina Wang '21, members of the Group Independent Study Project Perspectives in Intersectional Reproductive Health A link to the survey can be found in an message sent to your Brown email address with the subject line "AAU Survey Extended. Please Let Us Hear From You!" The survey closes tonight at 11:59 p.m. Image via.